Method of manufacturing rigid cigarette packs including deforming at least one lateral face of the wrapper

ABSTRACT

A rigid pack for tobacco products comprises an outer wrapper ( 3 ) furnished with a container ( 4 ) presenting an open top ( 5 ), surmounted by a lid ( 6 ) hinged to the container ( 4 ) and rotatable between a position in which the open top ( 5 ) is exposed and a position, interacting with a frame ( 20 ) anchored to the open top ( 5 ), in which the open top is closed, the tobacco products being enveloped by an inner wrapper ( 19 ). The pack ( 1 ) presents four lateral faces ( 16, 17, 18 ) arranged in two parallel pairs, also a top end face ( 15 ) and a bottom end face ( 11 ) disposed transversely to the lateral faces ( 16, 17, 18 ), which define a front, a back and two flanks. At least one of the lateral faces ( 16, 17, 18 ) presents a deformation referable to at least one bend line ( 21 ), coinciding with a crease line ( 3 ) impressed previously on the blank from which the pack is fashioned, and obtained by subjecting the flank faces ( 18 ) to compression in such a way that the bend line ( 21 ) is forced into relief.

This application is the National Phase of International ApplicationPCT/IB01/02339 filed Dec. 6, 2001 which designated the U.S. and thatInternational Application was published under PCT Article 21(2) inEnglish.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pack of rigid type for tobaccoproducts.

The term “pack” used throughout the following specification can be takento mean either a packet designed to contain a group of cigarettes, ortobacco products broadly considered, or a carton able to accommodate aplurality of packets of cigarettes.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a rigid pack of the type in question is fabricated from aprecreased flat diecut blank and comprises a container, also a lidhinged to a rear edge of the selfsame container and rotatable thus abouta hinge line between positions in which one open end of the container isopen and closed, and a reinforcing frame disposed partly inside thecontainer, anchored to the front and two flank faces, of which thefunction is typically to retain the lid correctly in the closedposition.

Such packs comprise an outer wrapper fashioned from the aforementionedflat blank and containing a group of cigarettes enveloped by an innerwrapper made customarily of metal foil paper. The packer machines usedcurrently to manufacture packets of cigarettes are designed to fold theouter wrapper closely about the inner wrapper, thus producing an packetof substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape which is renderedextremely compact, with the result that any relative movement betweenthe outer and inner wrappers and the cigarettes of the group isprevented. Conversely, this packaging solution betrays the drawback thatthe smoker, having opened the packet, has difficulty in removing thefirst few cigarettes of the group.

Moreover, once the hinged lid has been opened for the first time andremoved thus from a position in which its edges were faultlessly alignedand in contact with the corresponding edges afforded by the open end ofthe container, it is difficult for this position to be regained when thelid is closed again, and the edges of the container and the lid remaindistanced marginally from one another.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacksdescribed above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The stated object is realized according to the present invention in apack of rigid type for tobacco products, comprising a wrapper which inturn comprises a container with an opening at the top, a lid serving toopen and close the opening, and an inner wrapper enveloping a group oftobacco products, wherein the pack presents a plurality of lateralfaces, a top end face and a bottom end face, characterized in that atleast one face of the wrapper presents a deformation defined by at leastone bend line generated on the selfsame face.

The present invention relates also to a method of manufacturing packs ofrigid type for tobacco products.

The stated object is realized according to the invention in a method bywhich to manufacture packs of rigid type for tobacco products,comprising a wrapper that consists in a container with an opening, a lidserving to open and close the opening, and an inner wrapper enveloping agroup of tobacco products, wherein the pack presents a plurality oflateral faces, a top end face and a bottom end face, characterized inthat it comprises the steps of advancing the packs along the outfeedline of a packer machine, subjecting the pack to a force of compressionapplied by way of at least two opposite lateral faces in such a manneras to induce a deformation on at least one of the lateral faces of thewrapper lying transversely to the faces subjected to the compression,defined by at least one bend line coinciding with a crease lineimpressed on the selfsame face.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, withthe aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a pack embodied in accordance with theinvention, in particular a packet of cigarettes, viewed schematicallyand in perspective;

FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrate four further embodiments of the pack of FIG. 1,viewed schematically and in perspective;

FIG. 8 illustrates a pack embodied in accordance with the invention, inparticular a carton designed to contain a plurality of packet ofcigarettes, viewed schematically and in perspective;

FIG. 9 illustrates a device used to manufacture packs as in FIGS. 1 to8, viewed schematically in a front elevation and with certain partsomitted for clarity;

FIG. 10 illustrates a detail of the device of FIG. 9 for manufacturingpacks as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, viewed schematically and in perspectivewith certain parts omitted;

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 9for manufacturing packs as in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7, viewed schematicallyand in perspective with certain parts omitted for clarity.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the drawings, 1 denotes a rigid packfor tobacco products, in its entirety, embodied as a rigid packet 2serving to contain a group 2 of cigarettes (not illustrated), whereas inFIG. 8 the pack is a carton 23 serving to contain a plurality of packets2. The pack 1 appears substantially parallelepiped in shape andcomprises an outer wrapper 3 comprising in its turn a cupped container 4with an open top end 5; the container 4 is surmounted by a lid 6 also ofcupped embodiment, hinged to the container along a crease line 7 androtatable thus between a position in which the top end 5 is exposed (notillustrated) and a position in which the selfsame end 5 is concealed.

The container 4 presents a front 8, a back 9, two flanks 10, and abottom 11; the lid 6 similarly presents a front 12, a back 13, twoflanks 14, and a top 15.

The front 8, the back 9 and the flanks 10 of the container 4 and thefront 12, back 13 and flanks 14 of the lid 6 combine respectively toform lateral faces of which the front face is denoted 16, the rear faceis denoted 17 and the flank faces are denoted 18, these combining withthe bottom 11 of the container 4 and the top 15 of the lid 6 toestablish the outer wrapper 3 of the pack 1.

As illustrated specifically in FIGS. 1 and 2, the packet 2 accommodatesan inner wrapper 19 enveloping the aforementioned group of cigarettes,and is furnished with a reinforcing frame 20 interposed between theouter wrapper 3 and the inner wrapper 19, anchored to the container 4and projecting in part from the open top end 5 of the selfsame containerto provide a stabilizing element for the lid 6 when in the closedposition.

In the examples of FIGS. 1 to 7, at least one of the four lateral facespresented by the outer wrapper 3 of the packet 2 exhibits a deformationreferable to at least one bend line 21 that causes the selfsame face tobulge, thereby reducing the rigidity of the packet 2 and facilitatingthe removal of the cigarettes.

In its simplest form, the bend line 21 defines and coincides with anedge 22 by which the lateral face of the outer wrapper 3 of the packet 2that presents the deformation is divided into at least two portions,and, since the edge 22 is directed away from the packet 2 and thereforedetached marginally from the corresponding breasted face of the innerwrapper 19, the two portions of the face in question will appearpartially and progressively detached from the face of the inner wrapper19 by a distance increasing from a minimum, at the corner edges alongwhich they are in contact with the inner wrapper 19, to a maximum at theedge 22 along which the gap separating them from the wrapper 19 isgreatest. Besides reducing the rigidity of the packet 2 as alreadyintimated, this expedient also lends a faceted aspect to the face of thepacket 2 and permits thus of creating chiaroscuro effects which, whenspecial types of surface finish are applied to the relative flat diecutblank used to fashion the packet 2, such as metallization and the like,serve to enhance the varied reflection of light from the packet 2.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the front face 16 and the rear face17 presented by the outer wrapper 3 of the packet 2 each exhibit twobend lines 21 disposed symmetrically in relation to a longitudinal axis24 of the pack 1; in particular, the two bend lines 21 are of arcuateoutline and extend between the two opposite transverse edges of therespective faces 16 and 17, that is to say the edges along which thesesame faces 16 and 17 are joined to the top end face 15 and the bottomend face 11 of the pack. In this example, each face 16 and 17 is dividedby the edges 22 generated along the bend lines 21 into three portions,identifiable as a bulging central portion 25, and two lateral portions26 each compassed between a relative bend line 21 and the correspondinglongitudinal edge of the packet 2.

In the example of FIG. 3, the front and rear faces 16 and 17 of theouter wrapper 3 each present four bend lines 21, of which two aredisposed as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and two disposed symmetricallyin relation to a transverse axis 27 of the pack 1. In particular, thebend lines 21 placed symmetrically in relation to the transverse axis 27are of arcuate outline and extend between the two opposite longitudinaledges of the relative faces 16 and 17, that is to say the edges alongwhich these same faces 16 and 17 are joined to the flank faces 18. Inthis example there are four lateral portions 26 and the central portion25 is compassed entirely by the four bend lines 21.

Likewise in the example of FIG. 4, the bend lines 21 are four in numberbut in this instance of angular outline, and more exactly, each composedof a straight leg 21 a joined to two angled legs 21 b extending from theopposite ends of the straight leg 21 a and terminating at respectivecorners of the face 16 and 17. In the particular example illustrated,the central portion 25 of each face 16 and 17 is substantially flat andrectangular, and completely detached from the corresponding face of theinner wrapper 19.

In the example of FIG. 5, the front and rear faces 16 and 17 bothpresent four bend lines 21 of arcuate outline, each subtended by onerespective edge of the face, and more exactly, two disposedsymmetrically on either side of the longitudinal axis 24 of the pack,subtended each by a relative longitudinal edges, and two disposedsymmetrically on either side of the transverse axis 27, subtended eachby a relative transverse edge.

The example of FIG. 6 illustrates a single bend line 21 describing aclosed outline of elliptical geometry, whilst in the example of FIG. 7both faces 16 and 17 present four bend lines 21, each placed with therespective ends terminating on two adjoining edges of the relative faces16 and 17.

It will be observed that in FIG. 6, as in the example of FIG. 4, thecentral portion 25 of each face 16 and 17 is completely detached fromthe corresponding face of the inner wrapper 19.

With reference now to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, the packs illustrated in FIGS.1 to 8 are obtained by causing the single packets 2 emerging from apacker machine (not illustrated) to advance along an outfeed line,denoted 28 in its entirety and comprising a deformation device 29 bywhich at least two of the aforementioned opposite lateral faces 16 and17 or 18 are subjected to compression in such a way that at least one ofthe selfsame lateral faces 16 and 17 of each outer wrapper 3 adjoiningthe faces subjected to the compressive force will undergo a plasticdeformation referable to at least one bend line 21 coinciding with acrease line 30, applied to the selfsame face prior to the compressionstep.

Whilst it will be evident that the same method of deformation can beused for cartons 23, reference is made in the following description topackets 2 only, for the sake of simplicity.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the aforementioned outfeed line 28 includesa conveyor 31 that serves to stabilize the advancing packets 2 ofcigarettes, consisting in a top belt 32 looped around two respective endpulleys 33 (one only illustrated in the drawings) of which one is powerdriven, and a bottom belt 34 likewise looped around two end pulleys 35(one only illustrated in the drawings) of which one is power driven forexample employing a transmission of conventional type, not indicated, byway of which it is coupled mechanically to the pulley 33 of the top belt32.

The two belts 32 and 34 present a transverse dimension substantiallyequal to the longitudinal dimension of the single packet 2, and arearranged with their active branches mutually opposed and set apart by adistance T1 substantially equal to the transverse dimension of thepacket 2. The active branches are designed to engage the flank faces 18of the packets 2 as these advance, breasted in contact one with the nextby way of the larger lateral faces 16 and 17, proceeding along a firststabilization path P1 in a conveying direction D normal to the selfsamefaces 16 and 17 at a first predetermined velocity V1.

The deformation device 29, positioned downstream of the stabilizationconveyor 31, comprises a deforming and spacing conveyor 36 that consistsin a top belt 37 looped around two end pulleys 38 and 39 of which atleast one, located downstream as viewed in FIG. 9 and denoted 39, ispower driven independently of the power driven pulley 33 of thestabilization conveyor 31, and a bottom belt 40 looped similarly aroundtwo end pulleys 41 and 42 of which at least one, located downstream asviewed in FIG. 9 and denoted 42, is rotatable about an axis disposedparallel to that of the pulley 39 above, and power driven for exampleemploying a transmission of conventional type, not indicated, by way ofwhich it is coupled mechanically to the selfsame pulley 39.

The two belts 37 and 40 present a transverse dimension substantiallyequal to the longitudinal dimension of the single packet 2 and arearranged with their active branches mutually opposed in such a manner asto engage the flank faces 18 of the packets 2 and cause them to advancealong a second path P2 in the conveying direction D at a secondpredetermined velocity V2 greater than the first velocity V1, with theresult that the packets 2 proceed along the second path P2 spaced apartone from the next by a predetermined distance. A fixed bridge 43positioned between the top branches of the bottom belts 34 and 40provides a connecting element along which the packets 2 are able to passfrom the stabilization conveyor 31 to the deforming and spacing conveyor36.

In particular, the bottom branch 44 of the top belt 37 and the topbranch 45 of the bottom belt 40 of the conveyor 36, extending in mutualopposition on either side of the second path P2, are routed overrespective diverter rollers, and more exactly over a pair of rollersdenoted 46 associated with the bottom branch 44 of the top belt 37 and apair of rollers 47 associated with the top branch 45 of the bottom belt40.

The top rollers 46 are positioned near to the pulleys 38 and 39 of thetop belt, disposed with their respective axes of rotation parallel tobut offset from those of the two pulleys 38 and 39, and in like manner,the bottom rollers 47 are disposed with respective axes of rotationparallel to but offset from those of the bottom pulleys 41 and 42. Inparticular, the top rollers 46 are offset toward the bottom belt 40 andthe bottom rollers 47 are offset toward the top belt 37, in such a waythat the mutually opposed branches 44 and 45 are set apart by a distanceT2 less than the distance T1 first mentioned and consequently less thanthe transverse dimension of the single packet 2.

Thus, proceeding from the upstream pulley 38 along the conveyingdirection D, the branch 44 of the top belt presents a first leg 44 aangled downwardly and toward the opposite branch 45, a secondrectilinear leg 44 b, and a third leg 44 c angled upwardly, away fromthe opposite branch 45 and toward the downstream pulley 39. Similarly,proceeding from the upstream pulley 41 along the conveying direction D,the branch 45 of the bottom belt presents a first leg 45 a angledupwardly and toward the opposite branch 44, a second rectilinear leg 45b, and a third leg 45 c angled downwardly, away from the opposite branch44 and toward the downstream pulley 42. Also forming part of theconveyor 36 are a rectilinear restraint 48 located between the toprollers 46 and a rectilinear restraint 49 located between the bottomrollers 47, along which the rectilinear legs 44 b and 45 b of therespective branches 44 and 45 are caused to slide substantially inbreasted contact.

In operation, the packets 2 running out of the upstream conveyor 31arrive at the entry point of the downstream conveyor 36 and are taken upbetween the angled legs 44 a and 45 a offered by the active branches 44and 45 of the two belts 37 and 40, whereupon the two flank faces 18 ofeach packet 2 are subjected gradually to a force of compression, firstby the rollers 46 and 47 and thereafter by the restraints 48 and 49, insuch a way that the crease lines 30 yield and thus generate the bendlines 21 along which the front and rear faces 16 and 17 are caused todeform plastically in the intended manner, for example as illustrated inFIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The solution illustrated in FIG. 11 differs from that of FIGS. 9 and 10simply in that the deforming and spacing conveyor 36 comprises twofurther belts 50 positioned laterally on opposite sides of the secondpath P2, extending mutually parallel and disposed with their activebranches engaging the top end faces 15 and the bottom end faces 11 ofthe packets 2 as these are spaced apart one from the next and caused toadvance along the conveying direction D, with which the selfsame top andbottom end faces 15 and 11 are parallel.

In like manner to the belts 37 and 40 already described, each lateralbelt 50 is looped around two respective pulleys 51 of which FIG. 11shows only the two positioned upstream relative to the direction Dfollowed by the packets 2, near the runout of the stabilization conveyor31. In this instance the pulleys 51 are mounted to respective shafts 52with vertically disposed axes

The mutually opposed active branches 53 of the lateral belts, directedtoward the middle of the conveyor 36, present respective pairs ofdiverter rollers 54 positioned near the pulleys 51 and disposed withtheir axes of rotation parallel to but offset from those of the selfsamepulleys 51. In particular, the rollers are offset toward the middle ofthe conveyor 36 in such a way that the mutually opposed branches 53 areset apart by a distance T3 less than the longitudinal dimension of thesingle packet 2. Thus, departing from the pulley 51 nearer the runout ofthe stabilization conveyor 31 and proceeding along the conveyingdirection D, each active branch 53 presents a first leg 53 a angledinwardly toward the middle of the conveyor 36, a second rectilinear leg53 b, and a third leg (not illustrated) angled outwardly and away fromthe middle of the conveyor 36. Each lateral belt 50 further comprises arectilinear restraint 55 extending between the relative pair of rollers54, along which the respective rectilinear leg 53 b of the active branch53 is caused to slide substantially in breasted contact.

In this particular instance the top and bottom belts 37 and 40 willperform the same operation of compressing the two flank faces 18 of thepacket 2, as described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, whereas onencountering the lateral belts 50, each packet 2 will be subjectedgradually to a force of compression applied to the top end face 15 andthe bottom end face 11, first by the rollers 54 and thereafter by therestraints 55, in combination with the force of compression applied bythe other belts 37 and 40, in such a way that the crease lines 30 yieldand generate the bend lines 21 along which the front and rear faces 16and 17 are caused to deform plastically, for example as illustrated inFIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7.

1. A method of manufacturing packs of rigid type for tobacco products,comprising a wrapper that comprises a container with an opening, a lidserving to open and close the opening, and an inner wrapper enveloping agroup of tobacco products, wherein the pack includes a plurality oflateral faces, a top end face and a bottom end face, the methodcomprising the steps of advancing the packs along an outfeed line of apacker machine, and plastically deforming at least one of the lateralfaces of the wrapper along a crease line impressed thereon by subjectingthe pack to a force of compression applied to at least two oppositefaces of the wrapper lying transversely to the face to be plasticallydeformed.
 2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the opposite facessubjected to compression are two flank faces of the pack, and thecompression step serves to generate two bend lines disposedsymmetrically in relation to a longitudinal axis of the pack.
 3. Amethod as in claim 1, wherein the faces subjected to compression are thetop end face and the bottom end face, and the compression step serves togenerate two bend lines on the lateral face disposed symmetrically inrelation to a transverse axis of the pack.
 4. A method as in claim 1,wherein the faces subjected to compression are two flank faces, the topend face and the bottom end face of the pack in such a way as togenerate four bend lines on the lateral face arranged in pairs andsymmetrically disposed.
 5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the bendlines define a central portion of the face that is detached from thecorresponding face of the inner wrapper.
 6. A method as in claim 1,wherein the wrapper is of substantially parallelepiped appearance andcomprises a container of cupped embodiment that presents an opening atthe top, also a lid of cupped embodiment hinged to the container androtatable thus between a position in which the opening is exposed and aposition of interaction with a frame occupying the opening, in which theopening is concealed.
 7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the at leastone lateral face is plastically deformed while on the outfeed line.
 8. Amethod of manufacturing packs of rigid type for tobacco products,comprising a wrapper that comprises a container with an opening, a lidserving to open and close the opening, and an inner wrapper enveloping agroup of tobacco products, wherein the pack includes a plurality oflateral faces, a top end face and a bottom end face, the methodcomprising the step of deforming at least one of the lateral faces ofthe wrapper along a crease line impressed thereon by subjecting the packto a force of compression applied to two flank faces, the top end faceand the bottom end face of the pack for generating four bend lines onthe lateral face arranged in pairs and symmetrically disposed.
 9. Amethod as in claim 8, wherein the bend lines define a central portion ofthe face that is detached from the corresponding face of the innerwrapper.
 10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the at least one lateralface is plastically deformed while on the outfeed line.